Improvement in galvanic batteries



R. M. LOGKWDUD. Galvanic-Batteries.

N0,149,320, I Patented April 7,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M. LOGKWOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN GALVANIC BATTERIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,320, dated April7,1874; application filed March 7, 1874.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. LOOKWOOD, of the city and State of NewYork, have invented an Improvement in Galvanic Batteries, of which thefollowing is a specification:

This invention is made for equalizing the action of the battery, andkeeping the sulphate of zinc separate from the sulphate of copper.

I make use of a vertical cell or vessel, with the blue-vitriol crystalsin the bottom, and upon these the copper plate rests, and above thatplate is a copper cone, with an opening at its apex from which thecopper solution passes,

as required, to be decomposed. The copper deposits upon the under sideof the cone and the-copper plate. The zinc or positive meta-l isconnected to the copper pole by insulated columns, so as to remain at aregular distance, and the poles resting upon the sulphate-ofcoppercrystals descend gradually as said crystals are dissolved. Around thecone is a skirt of felt or similar material to catch the sulphate ofzinc that falls from the negative pole; hence preventing loss of copperby deposit on such particles, and keeping the copper solution free fromforeign matter.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the battery complete,and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan below the line a0 0c.

The copper plate a is connected by the arms I) to the cone 0, which ispreferably of copper, with an opening at its upper end through whichpasses the insulated conducting-wire d that is attached at the lower endto the plate a. The columns 0 0 support the zinc or negative pole f, andpreserve a uniform distance between the two poles. These columns are tobe of insulating material. The under side of the zinc is convex, and thecentral hole for the conductor 11 allows of the escape of hydrogen gasthat is generated upon the under surface of the zinc. Around the outerportions of the cone 0 there is a skirt, 1, of felt or other flexiblematerial, that catches any particles of sulphate of zinc, and preventsthem passing between the cone and the glass vessel m, and thereby keepsthe copper solution clean.

The poles rest upon the sulphate of copper, and descend as that isdissolved and consumed. The solution of sulphate of copper passes out atthe top of the cone 0 as rapidly as required for the battery, accordingto the intensity in the action thereof, and as the decomposition andrecomposition take place the copper is deposited upon the undcr side ofthe cone and the plate a, and the sulphateof-zinc solution remainscomparatively free from impurities, especially above the zinc, whichsolution may be drawn off, and becomes an article of commerce.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The copper plate aresting upon thesulphate-of-copper crystals, and connected to the negative pole by thecolumns e, substantially as set forth.

2. The cone 0 above the plate a, and connected therewith, and having anopening at the top through which the conductor d passes, substantiallyas set forth.

3. The skirt of felt or other flexible material applied to the cone 0,and closing the space between the other portion of the cone and thecell, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 4th day of March, A. D. 1874..

R. M. LOOKWOOD.

Witnesses GEo. '1. PINOKNEY, CHAS. H. SMITH.

